Look, it's like this Delphian; in general, teachers go to the Middle East to save money and Thailand to party. Each has a unique selling point. However, my criticisms of Poland are specifically about it's EFL market and the the resulting poverty in which it lands you. We all know Polish students are great and that the population is well-educated I don't know how many times I have to post it here that I love the place but it's not that different to a lot of other spots around it in which I have lived. Sure, Fara is beautiful, the Cytadela is peaceful, Malta is ok and Stary Browar impressive but there are plenty of cemeteries, shopping centres and churches all over Europe. If Roma is the nice little Italian to which you refer in your post then I'll tell you that last time I ate there I sent my food back and told them it was unfit for canine consumption....... or were you talking about the old place on Piekary under the Ataner building in which I used to live? Go talk to Jonnie Olsen in the Vikings about Polish meat.....he is afterall a chef. And, what's this continual pap that I drink in hotel bars? I've been to the Sheraton twice and the Merkury once for drinks......over a 16-year period. I drink in the Lizard (8zl a Zywiec and 12 for a Paulaner), Dragon (8Zl Tyskie, shite bottle of wine about 70Zl), Vikings (8Zl a Carlsberg) and room 55, where you'll really get stung (ie 12Zl for half a cider). The Dom Vikingow, with it's 18Zl Murphy's has long gone. If you want a good value meal go to 'Tylko Unas' on Wroclawcka. That Indonesian place is crap. I'd love to know where the Serbian place is as the world's top food critics have long expounded the virtues of Balkan cuisine....it's not that dump on Ratajczaka is it? Try getting good beef!

Anyhow.....girlfriend or wife aside, what's the point in working your ass off for peanuts in a country in which you can't really afford to do all the nice stuff, where it's freezing for months and where you'll be screwed pensionwise and healthwise long-term? Have you got kids?

Anyhow.....girlfriend or wife aside, what's the point in working your ass off for peanuts in a country in which you can't really afford to do all the nice stuff, where it's freezing for months and where you'll be screwed pensionwise and healthwise long-term? Have you got kids?

What exactly is 'all the nice stuff'?

Anyway, I think it's true that it doesn't really make sense to work your ass off in Poland.

Sure, you may be able to clear 9-10k a month, but you will practically live in classrooms, teachers' rooms, and on students' premises. There is better money to be made elsewhere on a more reasonable teaching schedule.

So if you live in PL, you'd better enjoy it! ... Or be married to a woman/man who won't let you leave, which, let's face it, is often the case.

I'm a well-qualified, conscientious teacher, working at a very good, professional language school. Good to hear the pIss poor descriptions of most English teachers here: it gives more quality work to the rest of us who treat it for the profession it can be. If you're one of the former, carry on drinking, lads!